Rapping for respect: Meet the 18-year-old singer standing up for women in Egypt

Rapper Mayam Mahmoud (pictured here by Egyptian photographer Mohamed Azazy) shot to fame in 2013 after wowing both judges and audiences alike with her audition on " Arab's Got Talent."

The young singer, who uses her music to highlight the obstacles women face in Egypt, won the Arts category at the 2014 Index Freedom of Expression Awards in London on March 20.

Speaking to CNN before she won the accolade, the young musician said: "By being nominated for the award, it means somebody understood what I've been saying. That's all that matters ... It was never about going on stage in a scarf. It was about going on stage and sharing a message."

The feminist rapper is constantly challenging gender expectations. While accepting the award for her continued fight against sexual harassment of women in Egypt, Mahmoud wore a floor-length dress emblazoned with women's rights graffiti.

Mahmoud says her parents inspired her to speak up for what she believes in. "They've always taught me to choose something that is not an obligation but rather a real conviction of who I want to be as a person."

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Egyptian rapper Mayam Mahmoud

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Mayam Mahmoud is an Egyptian rapper who rose to fame after appearing on "Arabs Got Talent"

She refuses to accept that women in Egypt must be subservient to men

Last week she won the Index Freedom of Expression award for her work for women's rights

Editor's note:African Voices is a weekly show that highlights Africa's most engaging personalities, exploring the lives and passions of people who rarely open themselves up to the camera. Follow the team on Twitter.

London, England (CNN) -- As she took to the stage, both judges and spectators alike were unsure what the young Egyptian woman would do. Standing before the mic, dressed head to toe in a soft pink ensemble complete with a matching veil, Mayam Mahmoud was about to perform in front of an audience for the first time. Then, a hard-hitting beat began to blare out of the speakers and the 18-year-old started to rap.

Since her captivating appearance on popular TV talent show "Arabs Got Talent" last October, the young veiled hip-hop artist has amassed a huge following for challenging how women in Egypt are meant to behave. Her lyrics highlight the importance of girls' education and denounce sexual harassment of women on the streets of Egypt.

"It was never about going on stage in a scarf," says Mahmoud. "It was about going on stage and sharing a message," she adds. "Egyptian women undergo harassment and bullying on a daily basis."

Award-winning

Last week Mahmoud's inspiring work for women's rights was recognized at the prestigious Index Freedom of Expression awards. The young singer, who won this year's Arts category, sat down with CNN before the ceremony to explain how she is tackling Egypt's sexual harassment of women head on.

"These are matters that are very present in Egypt but no one is talking about them -- they are a big problem in Egyptian society," she explains. "It's about going out there and explaining your experience and sharing that with others so we know these problems exist and that is the way of changing views.

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"Hip-hop as a genre of music is where people have an avenue to express what they feel, the problems they go through ... There is less of an emphasis on the performance itself but rather on what is actually being said."

Having grown up in a traditionally conservative, patriarchal society, Mahmoud's feminist rhymes resonate with many of her fans who encourage her to continue combating gender discrimination through her music.

She raps in one of songs: "Who said that femininity is about dresses? Femininity is about intelligence and intellect."

Mahmoud describes how women can feel self conscious simply for walking to school or work. "She'll get looks and it can degenerate into touching. Another thing that commonly happens is that a woman can be walking in the street and she could be followed by a car. It could also degenerate to people hitting her from within the car or getting out of the car while saying all sorts of things to her.

"[These incidents] do not encourage her to leave her house anymore. It supports that idea that a woman should stay at home and not go out and I'm completely against that. I defy that."

Carnival of Freedom

The rapper, who is also an undergraduate studying politics and social science, also spends much of her time speaking to women who share their stories of daily discrimination with her. With their permission, Mahmoud then incorporates those experiences into her music.

"There is a lot of recent interest in women's rights in Egypt. People are more responsive at the moment and are becoming more interested in what I have to say. Because of this I set up a Facebook event called "Carnival of Freedom" and the whole point is to show or post day-to-day activities that are otherwise considered taboo in Egyptian culture.

"So for example, [it could be] women playing football or going to a cafe, playing pool or eating in the street. Essentially this is to keep encouraging men and women to be part of this natural need to enjoy one's self and express one's self with freedom."

For the time being, Mahmoud will continue to split her days between university and her passion for rapping. She acknowledges that she's young and is still trying to work out exactly what path to take. But she hopes her raps will continue to inspire others to change the way they think and treat others in Egyptian society.

"One of the strongest messages I'd like to send is, 'Freedom is an obligation on others before it becomes my right.'"